Historic buildings and housing

As you probably know, I love grand old buildings. Based on that fact, I’m wandering a bit from history and genealogy today.

Over the years, I’ve been a huge proponent of saving buildings that are of historical importance in our community. It is not always a winning proposition but the transformation of the Keystone, Valentine School (East Ward) and the original YMCA shows what can be done when enough money and initiative come together.St. Catherine’s hospital is a perfect example of what can be and, thankfully, an out-of-state investor is working hard to make into a usable, affordable living space.

Now, I am certain that many of you would turn up your proverbial noses at living in the old hospital and quite obviously until this investor got involved no one was willing to give the building a chance.

Rather importantly, no one in a position of authority or power was trying to envision anything but destruction and the creation of 12 building lots for single family homes. Thank goodness money for demolition wasn’t forthcoming.

It is all well and good to want to develop single family homes. After all, the housing surveys all say that is what is needed in McCook. Those filling out the surveys probably have never heard the term “couch surfer” and we have a large amount of them in McCook. Couch surfers are those young people who may be holding a job but cannot afford to pay rent for a roof over their head so they sleep, quite literally, on whatever couch is available to them for as long as it is offered.I

If you work a job full time at $10 per hour, you will, at a maximum, bring home $300 a week or $ 1,200 a month. If you have no special needs, no qualifying age, dependents or disabilities, you will not receive any help with rent. Or groceries, gas, clothing, utilities, medications, insurance, etc. You have a full time job and you can barely afford to eat and launder your clothes.

I’ve been told that close to 50 apartments could be developed (I hope I am quoting correctly) in the structures the old hospital consists of. Can you imagine what a boon to our needed workforce 50 reasonably priced apartments would be?

We need to not be short sighted when we plan for the future of McCook. Not everyone is going to earn enough money at the start of their time here to purchase a house for $100,000, let alone three times that. We have to support anyone who is willing to try and provide housing for those who are just beginning to climb the ladder to being a homeowner. If we can’t understand that need and support those efforts, we aren’t supporting an important part of our economic community. I believe it is covered in the words “least of thee”.

SWNGS Fall Expo is Saturday, October 22nd. Featured will be Beth Sparrow, a well-known genealogist, writer and researcher. In the morning (doors open at 8:30) she will cover DNA sites and basics. After lunch, which is included in the entry fee, Beth will lead us on how to research church records followed by a question and answer session. Reserve your spot by texting or calling: 308-340-8221 or 308-350-0126.